Report Finds 'Systemic Failures' at State Hospitals Led to Patient Abuse, Neglect

A new report finds serious breakdowns in procedures and safeguards by state-run hospitals across Texas.

The year-long investigation was by Disability Rights Texas—an organization designated by federal law to protect people with disabilities.

The report is titled “Turning a Blind Eye" and is focused on systemic failures within the state agencies that Disability Rights Texas says dismissed patient safety.

The report details several situations where physicians with documented violations were hired or still employed at a state hospital. It also found patient reports of abuse or neglect were not investigated properly.

But the report concluded that the limited sources and funding for state hospitals can’t “be an excuse for the State’s failure to protect patients in its care." It found, instead, that the problems were “longstanding and largely unrelated to fiscal concerns.”

Disability Rights Texas wants the state legislature to act on its recommendations “to improve the State’s care of Texans with mental illness.”

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